Can opener



March 2,6, 1940. E. MEIR Er AL 2,195,253

GAN OPENER Filed oct. 29, i938 2 fill' `Paternal Mar. 2s, i940l UNITEDSTATT-:s

PATENT n. oI-FICE CAN OPENER Ernest Meier and Merle L. Grob, Peoria.lll. Application October 29, 1938, Serial No. 237,644 1 Claim (Cl.30-16) This invention pertains to can openers or openers of that typeparticularly adapted for use in vproviding a pouring opening and aventing opening for containers within which beer or other liquidcommodities are sealed.

An object of the invention is to furnish a single piece tool of simpleform by means of which two perforations may be formed in a container bya single act, and wherein great leverage is present 0 in performing suchact with no likelihood of overturning and spilling the contents of suchcontainer.

Another object is to so locate a fulcrum hook upon the tool that inapplying said hook the 1everage upon such tool is transferred to theside of the containers bottom opposite that to which the said hook isapplied in the perforating act while at the same time providing theneeded two openings or vents in the containers top side. To the end thatthe invention may be clearly understood the appended drawing is providedforming part hereof.

Figure 1 shows our can perforating tool as viewed in perspective;

Figure 2 is a plan of the same showing what may be termed its underside,or that side applied to the container; and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the tool showing its application to acontainer for the perforating 30 act.

As illustrated most clearly in Figure l a strip or body of metal l suchas soft steel, for example, includes near one end a hook portion 2 whichshall be termed a fulcrum-hook struckup there- 35 from, that portion ofsaid body having said hook being preferably bent at a slight angle tobalance thereof at the point 3. Said hook"2 extends in the generaldirection of the opposite end of the body, and spaced therefrom andlocated between 40 it and said opposite end a lug 4 is struck up,constituting a punch-point, which preferably lies at a slight angle tothe plane of the'longest portion of the body.

Spaced from said punch-point 4, in turn, is Ya 45 lug 5 likewise struckup from the body and preferably at right angles to said plane of thelatter as best shown in Figure 3.

In said Figure 3 the device is shown in its application to a containershowing the mode of use thereon, it being observed that the point of thefulcrum-hook 2 is engaged beneath the bead a of the containers top.

It is also observed that the end oi' the device opposite that end havingthe fulcrum-hook overhangs the can so that pressure of the operator'shand can be directed downward toward the top of the container. Aspressure is applied "to the device the lug or punch-point l rstperforates l the top forming a pouring opening adjacent the containersedge, and as the device is lowered the descent of the point 5 providesan air vent near the diametricaliy opposite side of such container.

Of importance is the fact that the fulcrum'- hook 2 faces in thedirection of the end of the body to which leverage is applied, the forceoi such leverage at said hook being transferred to the opposite side ofthe container to the lower corner of the latter at b and therefore thereis no 20 danger of overturning said container with a consequent loss ofits contents.

In order to thus provide the two required openings in the container inthe easiest manner in a simple one piece body the orientation of thepoint of the hook 2 must be as shown and described with reference to theend of the device to which the hand pressure is applied.

We claim:

A can puncturing tool comprised in a single flat member having arelatively short portion thereof at one end lying at an angle to thehandle portion of the balance thereof, said member having a pointed lugstruck therefrom near the juncture of the short portion and said handleportion inward from the angle of both, said short portion having nearits terminus a hook portion struck therefrom extending in the directionof said lug and spaced therefrom, the same adapted to engage beneath.the top iiange of a can to be punctured and extending from the same sideof the tool as said lug, said handle portion having a lug strucktherefrom distant from the iirst named lug and extending from the sameside of the tool as said rst lug.

. ERNEST MEIER.

MERLE L. GROB.

